Total pages in book: 104
Estimated words: 100294 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 501(@200wpm)___ 401(@250wpm)___ 334(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 100294 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 501(@200wpm)___ 401(@250wpm)___ 334(@300wpm)
“Sure he was.” Joey shakes his head. “Just be careful, Madeline. Guys like that... they start off protective and end up controlling. I’ve seen it.”
I don’t bother responding; I focus on the paperwork, the numbers blurring together. The sooner I’m done here, the sooner I’m free. Joey must get the message because at some point he heads back into the shop, but it’s not long before he ventures back in, dropping down into the chair in front of my desk again.
“Can I ask you something?”
“Sure.”
“Are you happy?” The question catches me off guard. Then again, maybe he’s sensing I want to quit. I look up, and he’s watching me, his expression serious. “At Kingmakers,” he continues. “With the hockey crowd. That life. Is it what you wanted?”
I think about Luke and Georgia. My sister is here too.
“Yeah,” I say quietly. “I think it is.” Sometimes you don’t know what you want until it’s staring you right in the face.
Joey’s jaw tightens for a second. Then he smiles again, but it doesn’t reach his eyes this time. “You deserve to be happy,” he says before he heads back into the shop.
I can’t shake the feeling that I just said the wrong thing.
I dive into the stack of invoices for the next few hours. When I’m finally caught up, I take a breath and stretch. I’ve done enough to ease my guilt over quitting. Now I just have to do the hard part. I just need to rip the Band-Aid off.
I walk into the shop area where Joey is wiping grease off his hands with a rag. He looks up, smiling when he sees me.
“All done already?”
I nod. “Can we talk?”
Something in my tone makes his smile falter, but I know those are words people never want to hear. He nods toward the office. “Sure.”
I follow him, my heart hammering against my ribs. This shouldn’t be so hard. People quit jobs all the time. Joey leans against the desk, waiting.
“I’m quitting,” I tell him. “I know it’s short notice, and I’m sorry.”
Joey stares at me for a long moment. The silence stretches, heavy and uncomfortable. I have to fight not to fidget. Then he pushes off the desk, taking a step closer to me.
“Madeline, please,” he says gently. “Is it the hours? The pay? I can fix that. Just tell me what you need, and I can fix it.”
“It’s not that,” I say, glancing away. I haven’t worked here long, so this all sounds a tad dramatic. “I’m just spread too thin. Only so many hours in a day. School, the hockey stuff, everything. I need to focus my attention on certain things.”
“Focus.” He repeats the word, and I hear the shift in his tone. It’s still friendly on the surface, but there’s an edge to it that I don’t miss. My girl senses are starting to tingle, and I trust the hell out of those. “Or is it that you’re too focused on someone?”
I don’t answer because honestly, I don’t care for the question. Joey is crossing a line now. I get that he and Luke have issues that stem from before, and he gave me his little warning. That was far enough. I don’t need him trying to bang what he believes into my head.
“Because of him,” Joey says, and it’s not a question. “That hockey player.” He’s just being rude; he knows Luke’s name.
“Joey, you don’t understand—”
“I understand plenty.” He takes another step closer, and I don’t like it, but I stand my ground and stare him dead on. I can sense the change in him. I refuse to allow him to intimidate me.
“He’s controlling you, Madeline. Can’t you see that? First, he doesn’t want you here; next he won’t want you talking to your friends. I’ve seen guys like him—”
“Stop.” I hold my hand out. “You don’t know anything about him. Or me. This is my choice.”
“Is it?” Joey reaches out, his hand hovering near my arm. It’s a fight not to flinch away, but I’m holding my ground because it’s starting to feel like he wants to control me.
For a second, something flashes in his eyes, cold and calculating, completely at odds with his nice-guy smile. It happens so fast I almost miss it, but then it’s gone, covered by that familiar, easy grin. “I’m sorry,” he says, dropping his hand and stepping back. “I care about you, that’s all.” That alone has the hairs on my arms standing up. He barely knows me to care this much.
Thankfully, he gives me space.
“I got the paperwork all caught up, so you should be good for a little,” I say, grabbing my stuff, the urge to get out of here strong. I no longer feel guilty about quitting. This entire interaction with Joey just lets me know I’ve made the right decision. Luke’s instincts about him were right.